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Test bench: Speed camera detectors

How to win on points in the great speed camera derby

Speed cameras have become a punitive fact of life for Britain’s 32m motorists. Knowing where they are can save hundreds of pounds in fines as well as points on a licence. It is no surprise, then, that in-car speed camera warning systems have become popular. However, from next year some models will be outlawed under the Road Safety Act and drivers using them will face a fine.

The good news is that only those detectors that pick up the radar signals emitted by cameras and laser signals sent by mobile camera vans will be affected. Speed camera locators relying on GPS technology that maps the location of fixed cameras and warns the driver when they are approaching will remain legal.

These locators are essentially portable sat nav systems with a memory loaded with information on the whereabouts of fixed speed cameras. They attach to the windscreen with suckers so that